Porsche has long been an expert at bringing new variants into even the smallest niches, a collection strategy that creates a wealth of possibilities. With the current 911, the palette ranges from the simple Carrera to the S and the GTS to the twin peaks of the motorsport-inspired GT3 and the super sports car lure Turbo S. There are also cabriolet and targa variants and the option to choose either rear or rear All-wheel drive and manual or PDK dual-clutch transmissions cover much of the range, and you’re left with a bewildering choice – and that’s before you consider the option list, which is longer and more financially punitive than German tax legislation. You could spend days using the online configurator without ever finding the perfect solution.
So the new Sport Classic could be a perfect shortcut for those rich in cash but short on time to make such tricky decisions, or who want to pull off some otherwise impossible combinations. Essentially, it’s a rear-wheel-drive version of the normally all-wheel-drive Turbo, also mated to a standard seven-speed manual instead of the PDK mandatory in the Turbo, and pretty much a full-throttle array of option boxes ticked. You’ll notice that it also has a ducktail spoiler.
Because the Sport Classic is one of the limited heritage design models from Porsche that draws inspiration from different eras of the company’s history. In the case of the Sport Classic, that era is the late ’60s and early ’70s, with the rigid wing clearly referencing the famous ducktail worn by the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Other retro design touches in the new car include Fuchs-style alloy wheels, checkered fabric inserts on the seats and door panels, and gold badges. The red in the Porsche logos is the more orange hue the company used back when sex was safe and racing was dangerous.
The Sport Classic may look (slightly) like an RS 2.7, but it doesn’t drive like one. No wonder, because the new car weighs over 60 percent more than its famous predecessor and has two and a half times more power. This is also because the dynamic character of the 2023 Sport Classic comes close to the 911 Turbo on which it is based. Power and torque have been slightly reduced due to the limitations of the manual transmission – the SC’s 543 hp and 442 pound-feet represent a reduction of 29 hp and 111 pound-feet respectively, but the character of the 3.7-liter flat-six remains preserved intact, with little lag and huge muscle in the midsection.
The Sport Classic may be the most powerful 911 of the 992 generation to be offered with a manual gearbox, but novelty aside, the stick shift really isn’t a significant highlight. There are two reasons for this: the first is that the SC, as a product of the regular 911 clan and not the motorsport line, uses the seven-speed gearbox, which shifts less precisely than the GT3’s scalpel-sharp six-speed, and the complexity of four levels.
The transmission handles direct shifts between consecutive gears neatly and has a rev-match function for smooth downshifts. But sometimes we got lost trying to skip intermediate gears or move across levels, often ending up in fifth place when trying to get third, or even seventh when aiming for fifth.
The second problem isn’t with the gearbox, but with the engine’s flat torque delivery, which peaks between 2000 and 6000 rpm. So there really isn’t much of a difference in urge between the higher gears when traveling fast. Part of the joy of choosing the right gear comes from the risk of being in the wrong gear, but given the breadth of the Sport Classic’s muscles, that’s not a huge risk.
That same muscle also makes this car effortlessly fast. The Sport Classic, while slower than the Turbo, is still capable of tremendous short-range speeds, which it proved on an unrestricted Autobahn near Stuttgart. Clumps of slower traffic in the fast lane slowed the 911 to what felt like a crawl speed of 75 mph or so, but once those blockages were cleared the car projected back to double that or even more without a sense of exertion. The Sport Classic feels more relaxed at 150 mph than most cars at 100.
Away from the Autobahn, the Sport Classic still felt very turboesque. This car comes standard with most of the 911’s optional dynamic features, including rear-wheel steering, a torque vectoring differential, PDCC active anti-roll system and PCCB carbon-ceramic brakes. The loss of a live front axle hasn’t dramatically changed its handling, and there’s no shortage of traction on smooth, dry tarmac, even when starting hard off intersections or applying a lot of power into tight corners. However, it was hardly noticeable that the chassis woke up under the lateral loads that thanks to this abundance of grip can be generated at quasi-responsible speeds on the road.
As with all 911s, the Sport Classic’s curve line can be tightened (or widened) easily and instinctively by shifting weight with small throttle adjustments, and it can be blasted down a twisting road at tremendous speed without undue drama. In that respect it’s every bit as impressive as the car it’s based on, but those expecting the adrenaline-pumping thrills that vintage rear-wheel drive 911 Turbos provided won’t find them here.
This car also doesn’t feel like an obvious successor to the generation 997 sports classic that went on sale in 2009, a 250-piece limited special edition based on the contemporary Carrera S and featuring a slightly upgraded version of that car’s naturally aspirated engine. It might sound heretical to say, but we strayed from our drive in this new sports classic and thought that the current GT3’s less powerful naturally aspirated 4.0-litre engine and faster gearbox would have suited this car better, especially considering the fact that it draws inspiration from before the birth of the 911 Turbo.
Sport Classic buyers will encounter another long-established Porsche tradition, namely charging high prices for a limited edition model. Despite being slower and less powerful than the 911 Turbo and having half the driven wheels, the Sport Classic carries a significant premium with an MSRP of $273,750. That’s almost a $100,000 premium over the standard Turbo coupe and $65,000 over the mighty Turbo S. That’s a significant change by any measure, although the company obviously thinks it’s due to the rarity of a model it will be limited to 1250 cars in all global markets.
Let’s face it, if anyone can sell the concept of paying more to end up with less, it’s Porsche.
specifications
specifications
2023 Porsche 911 sports classic
Rear engine, RWD, 2+2 passengers, 2-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $273,750
ENGINE
DOHC, twin-turbocharged, intercooled, flat-6, 24-valve, aluminum block and heads, direct injection
Displacement: 229 in3, 3745 cm3
Power: 543 hp at 6750 rpm
Torque: 442 lb-ft at 2000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
7-speed manual gearbox
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 96.5 inches
Length: 178.5 inches
Width: 74.8 inches
Height: 51.1 inches
Passenger volume: 74 ft3
Cargo volume: 5 ft3
Curb weight (C/D est): 3468 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EAST)
60mph: 3.7 sec
100mph: 7.2 sec
1/4 mile: 11.3 sec
Top speed: 196mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 16/14/19 mpg
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